(1968-06-27) June 27, 1968 (age 55) Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S.
Political party
Republican (2003–present)
Other political affiliations
Independent (before 2003)[1]
Spouse
Joseph Daley
(m. 2001)
Children
2
Education
Pennsylvania State University (BA)
Villanova University (JD)
Kelly Ayotte's voice
Ayotte questions witnesses on reforming the defense acquisition system Recorded April 30, 2014
Kelly Ann Ayotte (/ˈeɪɒt/AY-ott;[2] born June 27, 1968) is an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from New Hampshire from 2011 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Ayotte served as New Hampshire Attorney General from 2004 to 2009.
Born in Nashua, New Hampshire, Ayotte is a graduate of Nashua High School, Pennsylvania State University and Villanova University School of Law. She worked as a law clerk for the New Hampshire Supreme Court before entering private practice. She served as a prosecutor for the New Hampshire Department of Justice, and briefly served as the legal counsel to New Hampshire Governor Craig Benson, before returning to the Department of Justice to serve as Deputy Attorney General of New Hampshire. In 2004, Governor Benson appointed Ayotte as Attorney General of New Hampshire following the resignation of Peter Heed. She became the first and only woman to serve as New Hampshire's Attorney General. She was twice reappointed by Democratic governor John Lynch. Ayotte resigned from her position as Attorney General in 2009 pursue a bid for the U.S. Senate, after three-term incumbent Judd Gregg announced his retirement from the Senate.
In September 2010, Ayotte won a close victory over lawyer Ovide M. Lamontagne in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate. She then defeated Democratic congressman Paul Hodes in the general election with 60 percent of the vote. Ayotte was mentioned as a possible running mate for Republican nominee Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.[3][4] In 2016, Ayotte was defeated in her bid for reelection by Democratic Governor Maggie Hassan by a very narrow margin of 1,017 votes (0.14 percent).[5] After President Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court, the administration chose Ayotte to lead the White House team escorting the nominee to meetings and hearings on Capitol Hill.[6]
She is a candidate for New Hampshire's 2024 gubernatorial election.[7]
^David Axelrod (May 3, 2018). "The Axe Files with David Axelrod, "Episode 239 – Kelly Ayotte"" (Podcast). University of Chicago Institute of Politics and CNN. Event occurs at 15:30. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
^Bowers, Andy (November 30, 2005). "Plessy, Miranda, Roe, and Ayotte?". Slate. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
^Bendery, Jennifer (July 29, 2012). "Kelly Ayotte: 'It's An Honor To Be Mentioned' As Potential Mitt Romney VP (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
^Rogers, Josh (August 4, 2012). "Ayotte Would Add Youth, Conservatism As VP Choice". NPR. New Hampshire Public Radio. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
^"2016 General Election Information and Results". New Hampshire Secretary of State Elections Division. November 8, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
^"Ayotte to lead White House team shepherding Supreme Court nominee". New Hampshire Union-Leader. January 31, 2017. Archived from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
^"Ayotte launches campaign for New Hampshire governor with broad base of GOP support". WMUR-TV. July 24, 2023.
Kelly Ann Ayotte (/ˈeɪɒt/ AY-ott; born June 27, 1968) is an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from New Hampshire from...
presidential election. Primary elections will take place on September 10, 2024. KellyAyotte, former U.S. Senator (2011–2017) and Attorney General of New Hampshire...
ballot took place on September 13, 2016. Incumbent Republican Senator KellyAyotte ran for re-election to a second term in office and won the primary by...
Gregg (R) retired instead of seeking a fourth term, and was succeeded by KellyAyotte, who won the open seat by over 23 points. As of 2023[update], this was...
Congress. The 2 Democratic gains came from the defeats of incumbents KellyAyotte in New Hampshire and Mark Kirk in Illinois by Maggie Hassan and Tammy...
Convention. In 2016, Hassan ran for the U.S. Senate and narrowly defeated KellyAyotte, the Republican incumbent, by about a thousand votes (about 0.1% of the...
Ayotte is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: KellyAyotte (born 1968), former United States senator Leo Ayotte (1909–1976), artist Mark...
re-election. Former acting governor Chuck Morse and former U.S. senator KellyAyotte have announced their campaigns for the Republican nomination. Former...
Hampshire Democrat Jeanne Shaheen was joined by newly elected Republican KellyAyotte, making up the first Senate delegation of two women belonging to different...
reelection to the Senate in 2010, and former State Attorney General KellyAyotte, also a Republican, was elected to succeed him. On May 27, 2011, Goldman...
Judd Gregg retired instead of seeking a fourth term. Republican nominee KellyAyotte won the open seat by over 23 points, after winning a close party primary...
2016 United States Senate election in New Hampshire, Kamen endorsed KellyAyotte, appearing in an ad supporting her. Insulin pump North Dumpling Island...
Hampshire's U.S. Senate seats have been held by Democrats since 2017. KellyAyotte was the last Republican to represent New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate...
One of the prosecutors in this case was assistant Attorney General KellyAyotte. She later was appointed as the State Attorney General. Later she was...
nominees for vice president to eleven individuals in April 2012: Senator KellyAyotte from New Hampshire (2011–2017) Governor Chris Christie from New Jersey...
media reports during the 2016 election cycle but did not enter the race. KellyAyotte U.S. Senator from New Hampshire 2011–2017 Michele Bachmann U.S. Representative...
(2023–present) Roger Wicker, U.S. Senator from Mississippi (2007–present) KellyAyotte, U.S. Senator from New Hampshire (2011–2017) and Republican candidate...
Roger Wicker, Mississippi Scott Brown, Massachusetts Rob Portman, Ohio KellyAyotte, New Hampshire Susan Collins, Maine Lindsey Graham, South Carolina John...
Buxó, U.S. Shadow Senator from Puerto Rico (2021–present) (Indepedent) KellyAyotte, U.S. Senator from New Hampshire (2011–2017) and Republican candidate...
Meanwhile, Democratic governor Maggie Hassan defeated incumbent Republican KellyAyotte to join Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Representatives Carol Shea-Porter...
Londonderry town manager and candidate for Governor of New Hampshire in 2012 KellyAyotte, former U.S. Senator Scott Brown, former U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand...
Atkinson, former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly[citation needed] KellyAyotte, former United States Senator (R-NH) William Binney, former intelligence...
all five seats in the Executive Council, electing a new U.S. senator, KellyAyotte, winning both U.S. House seats, and reducing the margin of victory of...
announced plans in December 2015 to challenge KellyAyotte for her US Senate seat; she defeated Ayotte in 2016. Governor Chris Sununu vetoed a bill on...
former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, former New Hampshire Senator KellyAyotte (Villanova Law), and former Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland. Wife...
but she instead successfully ran for the U.S. Senate against incumbent KellyAyotte. In the general election, Republican nominee Chris Sununu defeated Democrat...
Shea-Porter defeated Guinta on November 8, 2016, to win back the seat. He and KellyAyotte are the most recent Republicans to represent New Hampshire in Congress...
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